Fire and Ice
by Red Berin
Summary: Zak sneaks onto one of his parents' missions, eager to prove himself, but an evil cryptid attacks and Van Rook's apprentice is willing to do whatever it takes to finish his job. Rated T to be safe.
1. Into the Arctic

Here is my very first Secret Saturdays story! I don't own them however, as much as I would want to. A quick note: Zak is nine years old, doesn't know about his powers, and Doc isn't blind in one eye. Enjoy!

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Why did the cryptid have to be in the Arctic? Doc wondered for perhaps the hundredth time that day. He pulled his jacket tighter around him as the bitter wind picked up again. Looking over to his right, he noticed his wife was shivering from the cold. She smiled as he draped his arm over her shoulders and the two walked on.

"Ow! Fisk! Watch where you're going!"

Doc and Drew turned on the spot to see Zak sprawled on an ice patch about twenty yards away. Fisk was next to him, sitting up and rubbing his head. Komodo was a short distance ahead of the two boys, staring at Doc and Drew.

"ZAK! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Drew exploded.

Zak stood up with Fisk's help, trying to avoid answering the question. Before Doc could stop her, Drew was running back towards the two.

"I told you to stay on the airship, Zak!"

"Mom, it's okay! We just want to help! I'm nine years old now, I thought I should be doing something for you guys," Zak said, making things up as he went along. He, Komodo, and Fisk were really in on this for the adventure.

Deciding to step in, Doc said, "Drew, we should let him stay. We're only after a cryptid here. Maybe it's time for him to see how we do things?"

"He's too young Doc! What if he gets hurt or -," Drew started anxiously. After she glanced at Doc's serious face and Zak's pleading eyes, she gave in. "Fine. He can come along." She turned around to continue walking with Doc.

Zak and Fisk high-fived each other, Komodo growled happily, and the three quickly ran to catch up with Doc and Drew. They walked on through the barren land, Doc had his arm around Drew again and Fisk carried Zak to keep him warm.

After walking in silence for several minutes, Zak spoke up, "Dad, where are we going?"

"We're looking for a cave. The cryptid is supposed to be in there, but even if it isn't, it's worth searching," Doc explained casually.

"It's been disturbing some of the scientists doing research here, so we're the ones who deal with it and try to keep everything quiet," Drew continued.

"Can't the other Secret Scientists handle it? Isn't Dr. Cheechoo supposed to be stationed here or something?" Zak asked, sounding annoyed.

"He isn't authorized for dealing with cryptids, Zak," Doc responded without looking back.

"Besides, aren't you the one who snuck out of the airship to come along with us?" Drew said teasingly.

"I wanted to come with you guys! It's not my fault we're not in the Bahamas," Zak mumbled. Fisk nodded his head in agreement, but Doc and Drew didn't stop.

"The cave should be around here somewhere," Doc said to himself as he left Drew's side. He walked around in a large circle, searching the cliffs for any signs of cave openings. Drew followed suit, leaving Zak, Fisk, and Komodo to watch them as they worked.

"Fisk, what's that?" Zak asked, pointing to a strange disruption in the cliff face that neither one of his parents had noticed yet. After making some odd noises, Fisk ran across the ice to get a better look. Once he investigated the thing on the cliff, he began jumping up and down and pointing to it excitedly.

"Mom! Dad! Fisk found something!" Zak called out to his parents. He jogged towards Fisk, Komodo at his heels.

Doc and Drew turned from their own investigations to see what Fisk had found. Upon reaching Zak, Fisk, and Komodo, smiles crept across both of their faces as they recognized the entrance to a cave.

"Nice job, Fisk," Doc said softly as he put his hands onto the opening of the cave.

"Maybe letting you come wasn't such a bad idea," Drew laughed, ruffling Zak's and Fisk's hair.

As they stepped into the cave, Doc and Drew took to walking in a more defensive manner. Zak noticed, and did the same.

"Is the cryptid gonna be right at the entrance?" Zak whispered, noting the ominous silence that his parents were being careful not to disrupt.

"Little is known about this one, so we don't know much about its habits," Drew explained in an equally quiet whisper.

"Zak, if this thing attacks, don't try and fight back. We'll handle anything like that," Doc whispered, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Dad, I'm not five!" Zak said, raising his voice angrily.

"Quiet!" Drew chided. "And Zak, listen to your father," she added as an afterthought.

The family walked further and further into the cave and the light from the entrance slowly started to fade. Drew searched in her coat pocket for a small but bright flashlight to help everyone see better. After only a few more minutes, a loud crash broke the eerie silence.

Doc and Drew exchanged quick, worried glances and set off at a run; Zak, Komodo, and Fisk were right behind them.

As they ran, the unmistakable sound of people talking grew louder. The family headed through twisting tunnels until at last, they came across the entrance to a large, brightly lit cavern. Drew held out her arm in front of everyone, stopping them from entering. Cautiously, she stepped forward and looked inside. "Oh, it's just Dr. Cheechoo and the other scientists!" she said as she withdrew from the entrance.

Everyone walked inside the cavern and were greeted by the secret scientists. The scientists stood in a circle, closely examining something on the cold ground. The Saturdays headed towards the groups of scientists to get a better look.

"What are you guys up to?" Zak asked excitedly.

All of the scientists looked up from Zak to Doc and Drew with shock evident on their faces.

Being the most blunt, Dr. Beeman was the first to speak up, "What's Monochrome Head doing here?"

Before any of the Saturdays could enter, Agent Epsilon joined in, "I would never dream of bringing Francis along on a mission at such a young age."

"It's not our fault if he sneaks along, is it?" Drew retorted. However, she gave her son a quick smile.

Without any further comments, the scientists all returned back to their work.

Doc bent down to get a better look at the contraption they were working on. "What is it?" he asked with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"It's nothing yet, but it's going to allow us to hack into any computer system within a twenty-mile radius. Plus, it's portable," Miranda explained as she started pressing several buttons.

The machine whirred and made several beeping noises. Some of the buttons lit up, but after only a couple seconds, it became still and quiet once more. Miranda smacked her fist against the ground in frustration, grabbed a wrench, and started loosening bolts holding the machine together.

"Why are you working on it here, of all places?" Drew asked, kneeling down between Miranda and Epsilon to get a closer look.

"Some of the researchers here claim that someone's been messing with the research on their computers. Dr. Beeman came up with the idea to make a device that could hack into a computer and trace its whereabouts," Dr. Cheechoo explained.

"So you want to catch whoever's tampering with the research," Doc said, clearly interested. "Maybe I can help." He bent down on Miranda's opposite side and grabbed another wrench from the cave floor.

Zak stood awkwardly behind the circle of scientists with no idea of what was going on. Finally, after he could no longer take the silence, he said, "What about the cryptid?"

All six eyes immediately fixed themselves on Zak's face and he felt himself grow red.

Drew chuckled, "Doc, he's right. We should get going."

"You're looking for a cryptid out here?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah. Researchers claim to have seen it running around here somewhere," Doc explained as he stood up and then turned to help Drew up.

"Is that why you're in here in the first place?" Dr. Cheechoo asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"It's supposed to hang around inside caves, but we haven't seen it yet," Drew elaborated, catching Dr. Cheechoo's worry.

"Well, we'll see you all later then. Good luck with that machine there," Doc called as the family moved towards the back of the cavern. Everyone but Epsilon said their farewells. While walking towards the far wall, the Saturdays saw that there were two different tunnels to choose from.

"Should we split up?" Drew asked.

"No. Who knows what could be in there?" Doc said, glancing down both of the tunnels. As he did so, he unconsciously gripped his wrist of the hand wearing his Battle Glove. He led the way down the tunnel to the left and his family followed closely behind. The light from the scientists was fading as they walked on, so Drew unsheathed her Fire Sword to light the way.

"Is it always this quiet whenever you go on missions?" Zak asked, sounding annoyed.

"No, Zak. We haven't found the cryptid yet, so there's nothing we can do," Doc replied.

Zak sighed exasperatedly. However, Fisk and Komodo were looking around worriedly.

The family continued on. The temperature seemed to drop with every step they took. Zak started shivering again, so Fisk lifted him up and carried him as they walked.

Suddenly, the sound of several pairs of running footsteps filled the tunnel. Everyone turned around and looked back down the way they had come, waiting to see what was coming.

The secret scientists came into the light of Drew's sword. All were running as fast as they could; all had looks of terror on their faces. Miranda was ahead of them all and as she ran by, she pushed the Saturdays out of her way and sprinted past. Cheechoo and Beeman soon followed. Doc grabbed onto Beeman's jacket as he ran by, pulling the man back.

"Dr. Beeman! What's going on?" he yelled.

"It's the cryptid!" Beeman shouted.

"Can't you fight it?" Drew asked.

"None of us have our things except Epsilon!" Beeman explained as he managed to wrench his coat from Doc's grip. He turned and ran down the tunnel after Dr. Cheechoo and Miranda.

As soon as he was out of sight, Epsilon came into view, sprinting down the tunnel. Without a word to the Saturdays, he ran past and, like his fellow scientists, out of sight.

Seconds later, a large, black, furry creature came bounding into the light. Its red eyes glowed despite the blue light cast from the Fire Sword. With its fangs bared and claws unsheathed, it leaped towards the Saturdays, ready to attack.

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Well, there's the first chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed it and feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading :D


	2. A New Adversary

As said earlier, I do not own the Secret Saturdays, just the new character in this chapter! Thanks to those that reviewed the first chapter, it keeps authors going!

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Zak looked from his mother to his father, trying to figure out what they were planning. Doc and Drew stood in front of Zak, Fisk, and Komodo, ready to strike whenever the monster did.

It felt like hours before anyone moved again, but in reality, it had been less than thirty seconds. The cryptid had eyed Zak, preparing itself to strike. In the blink of an eye, the monster had attempted to attack, but Doc had managed to hit it in the chest with his Battle Glove.

"Fisk! Take Zak and go!" Drew ordered, charging her Fire Sword, ready to defend. Before Zak could protest, he felt himself lifted from the ground. The cryptid fell beside Fisk before he had started to bound deeper into the tunnel, thanks to Komodo. Fisk fell forward over top of the cryptid and Zak fell from his grip. As Zak slid across the icy tunnel floor, he felt himself being scooped up yet again.

Doc had hoisted Zak into his arms and began running down the tunnel in the same direction as the secret scientists. Drew stayed only a second longer as she shot a well-aimed fireball at the cryptid before taking off after everyone else.

To Zak, the tunnel seemed to go on forever. Doc was still holding his son as he was too preoccupied with escaping the monster to put Zak down. Every now and then, Drew would shoot a fireball back at the monster to keep it at bay.

Finally, the family broke from the tunnel and into the open air of the arctic. Doc continued to run across the icy ground, closely followed by Fiskerton and Komodo. As Drew turned to fire again, she saw that the monster had not followed them out of the cave.

"Doc! It's stopped!" she called out to her husband.

As Doc skidded to a halt, he let out a sigh of relief and finally set Zak down. He doubled over, clutching at a stitch in his side.

"Someone's out of shape," Drew joked as she stood next to Doc.

"I didn't see you running and carrying Zak," Doc shot back.

"Who was the one shooting at the cryptid?"

Doc said nothing in reply.

"Is everyone alright?"

The Saturdays turned to see the secret scientists sprinting towards them, their equipment in hand.

"Now they show up," Zak mumbled to Fisk, who nodded.

"We're fine, Miranda. The cryptid didn't follow us out of the tunnel," Drew explained as she sheathed her Fire Sword.

"Is that what was bothering the researchers?" Dr. Cheechoo asked.

"We think so. It would be surprising if it isn't," Doc said.

Zak turned to Fisk and Komodo as his parents and the scientists began a long conversation on the cryptid they had just encountered. "Guys, what if we could catch that cryptid on our own?" he asked excitedly.

At this, Fisk began rapidly shaking his head and making frantic noises. Komodo simply stared at Zak as if listening with the utmost interest.

"Oh come on, Fisk! The three of us want to go on Mom and Dad's missions, so why not show them we can handle it?" Zak pressed on. "I'm sure the three of us could take it down!"

Fisk looked nervously over his shoulder at the group of scientists. Zak knew that his friend was seriously considering listening to him, so he tried again, "By the time they notice we're in the tunnel, we would have already found it!"

After anxiously looking yet again at Drew and Doc, Fisk finally nodded his agreement. "Alright!" Let's go!" Zak whispered.

Zak quickly checked to see that none of the scientists were watching before sprinting off to back to the tunnel. Fisk and Komodo followed closely behind while Fisk constantly looked behind him to make sure the scientists did not notice them.

The three reached the cave quickly, but they did not stop there. In his excitement, Zak pushed himself to run faster. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he certainly was not ready to run straight into the cryptid. Fisk caught him before he fell to the ground.

The cryptid turned around on the spot and glared at the three newcomers with its glowing eyes. If it hadn't been for the shock of something running into it, Zak supposed that they would've been in a whole lot more trouble. The beast growled furiously, recovering from its stunned state. In response, Komodo hissed threateningly, daring it to try and attack.

"Mom and Dad should know we're gone by now, Fisk. Let's try and hold it down until they get here!" Zak commanded. Without much thought, he jumped at the cryptid and tried to wrestle it to the ground. After whimpering worriedly, Fisk jumped onto the cryptid's back in an attempt to restrain it from hurting Zak.

Once it recovered from the initial shock, the cryptid turned to the offensive side. It whipped around, flinging Fisk off its back. Then, it grabbed Zak by his shirt and slammed him into the tunnel wall. Zak tried to wriggle himself free, but the cryptid's hold on him proved to be too tight.

The monster pulled back its arm, unsheathed its claws, and prepared to strike Zak. The boy stared in horror as the cryptid brought its claws flying through the air, aimed directly at Zak's chest.

Just when the beast's claws should've torn through Zak's chest, there was a bright flash of blue light, followed by a howl of pain. Zak fell onto the hard ground below. He sat up, rubbing where the cryptid had held him.

The secret scientists, including his parents, had come to the rescue. They were currently battling the cryptid in defense. Amidst the shouts and chaos, Fisk had carefully crawled over to Zak to see if he was alright. He lifted Zak up off the ground and set him back onto his feet, giving the boy a quizzical look.

Before Zak could say anything, Fisk squealed in fright and pushed him to the ground and out of the way. Seconds later, Dr. Cheechoo slammed into the wall where Zak's head was just seconds before. This brought Zak's attention back to the scene at hand.

One thing was for sure: the scientists were not faring well. Miranda's robot, Deadbolt, laid in pieces on the floor. Drew's Fire Sword was at least twenty feet away from where the battle was taking place and Dr. Cheechoo had just been knocked out cold. Zak stared in horror at the unmoving form of the secret scientist for several seconds. He could not believe that the cryptid had actually done that.

Zak's mother and father had always shielded him from their missions for a reason, and now he could see why. However, despite whatever they said about the dangers of these things, Zak would not let that stop him from helping out now.

Without much thought, he said, "Fisk! Throw me at that thing!"

Fisk stared at Zak in disbelief, muttering his protests.

"Come on, Fisk! We have to help them!" Zak urged. He waved his hand towards the ongoing battle, trying to prove his point.

Fisk reluctantly agreed. He picked Zak up by the waist in one hand and took aim. Before he could complete the throw, there was a loud explosion. By the time Zak and Fisk had figured out what happened Drew and Doc had run over to stand on either side of them.

"I thought you guys needed a hand," a male voice called. No one could see where it had come from, thanks to the smoke from the explosion. "Well, to be honest, I never would've helped if I didn't need to take the cryptid."

"Why do you need the cryptid?" Doc called out, trying to buy some time so that the smoke would clear and they would get a clear view of the man.

"He wants me to get it for him."

Taking Doc's hint, Drew asked, "Who's 'he'?"

There was a slight pause before the man answered back, "My teacher, Van Rook."

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Second chapter up! Woohoo! Thanks for reading, and again, feedback is much appreciated!


	3. Fight Fire

Thanks to all those that reviewed! It makes me feel all happy inside :) I still don't own the Secret Saturdays... *sigh* Anyways, enjoy!

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The words left the man's mouth and the atmosphere immediately changed. Drew had made some sort of movement, as if to go after the man. However, Doc had extended his hand in front of her to stop her. "Not now," he whispered so that only Drew and Zak could hear.

Zak stood still, watching his mother's furious face and his father's worried look. The smoke was thick so none of the other secret scientists were in sight, but no one could see the man either.

"Who are you?" Doc called to the man.

"The name's Aidan. I'm an explosives expert and Van Rook's newly hired apprentice," the man said.

As Aidan said this, Zak noticed that his mother had tensed up again. The only thing holding her back from attacking Aidan was Doc's arm.

"This has been real nice and all, but I think I'm just going to take this cryptid here and get out."

"Doc…" Drew whispered, desperate to stop Aidan from getting away. Doc stood motionless, trying to draw out the time as long as he could so that they would be able to see the man clearly.

"Why does Van Rook want the cryptid?" Doc asked quickly, stalling for even more time.

"He doesn't tell me anything," Aidan replied. "Just what I'm supposed to do." He was heard grunting under the weight of the cryptid as he attempted to lift it off the ground. After several seconds of silence, his voice sounded out through the thick smoke again, "Well, I'm all packed. I won't be seeing you, then."

Drew suddenly lunged forward, pushing Doc's arm out of her way. She ran straight into the dark smoke, but a voice different than hers broke the silence.

"We can't let you take that cryptid, sir."

Zak knew that the voice belonged to Miranda, but he tried his best to see through the smoke to see what was going on. Doc quickly glanced down at his son before setting off after his wife, Komodo at his heels. Zak looked up at Fisk, and the two nodded simultaneously. They set off into the smoke after Doc and Komodo.

Aidan sighed and said, "And here I was, thinking I could get away without any trouble."

"You're the one trying to illegally take a cryptid," Dr. Beeman said smugly.

"Now, now, I didn't say I was upset, did I?" Aidan said happily.

There was a moment of confusion before a series of small explosions, much like firecrackers, went off. Miranda screamed, but Zak couldn't tell whether it was in pain or surprise.

Drew must've recovered her Fire Sword. Bursts of blue light shone through the smoke, leading Doc, Komodo, Fisk, and Zak all towards the new battle. The four ran farther into the tunnel, but the battle seemed to keep moving ahead.

"They're heading for the cavern!" Doc called over everyone's pounding footsteps and the shouts of battle up ahead.

Zak was losing his energy quickly. It seemed like the first encounter with the secret scientists had been days ago, when it had really only been less than an hour. As his stamina faded, Zak realized that they would not be in this mess if it wasn't for him. If he hadn't talked Fisk into going after this cryptid, then the secret scientists would not have had to come rescue him.

"Dad, I'm sorry!" Zak shouted over several small explosions. He just wanted to get the apologies done and out of the way and if he didn't say anything now, he didn't think he would be able to stand watching anyone fight while he was the one to blame.

"Now is not the time, Zak!" Doc yelled as they finally reached the cavern.

"But Dad, I –,"

"Not now, Zak!" Doc shouted over a new batch of explosions. He was about to go charging into the battle to help Drew, Dr. Beeman, Epsilon, and Miranda, but Miranda sprinted out of the chaos straight at Doc.

"Doc, he's been controlling all his explosions from a tiny computer he has on his wrist!" she said quickly, almost slurring her words together in her apprehension.

Before Zak had even registered Miranda's words, Doc had replied, "So we can use that computer hacking device you were all working on to stop the explosions!"

Without a second thought, Doc and Miranda had run off into a secluded area of the cavern, leaving Zak standing, dumbfounded, with Fisk and Komodo.

"Zak! Don't just stand there, move!"

Before Zak had time to react to his mother's command, Fisk had scooped him up off the ground and started running for a safe area with Komodo following closely behind. Fisk had barely run ten feet when several small bombs flew through the air and landed in front of the three. With a squeal of fright, Fisk turned on the spot and ran in the direction they had just come from.

The bombs behind them exploded; fragments flew everywhere. Fisk did not stop running, if anything, he picked up his pace.

More explosions continued, but the Fiskerton Phantom continued running in large circles around the ongoing battle in the middle of the cavern. How the four scientists managed to avoid each and every explosion was a mystery to Zak, but since they remained safe, it didn't bother him too much.

How obsessed with escaping with this cryptid must Aidan be to actually throw bombs at people? Bombs that could cause serious injury or even...

Zak didn't want to think about that. It was too terrible of a thought to grasp.

Fisk continued to weave in and out of thrown bombs to avoid getting caught in the small but powerful explosions. Zak watched with suppressed anxiety as the scientists skillfully dodged each explosion or even deflected the bombs back at Aidan. The cryptid lay in a corner of the cavern, clearly forgotten.

"Epsilon! We need help!"

Miranda came into view as she shouted for the agent. With a last look at the other three secret scientists, Epsilon ran towards Doc and Miranda to help with the computer hacking device.

With only two scientists, Fisk, Zak, and Komodo left, Aidan seemed to gain newfound energy. The explosions increased in number and there were shorter pauses between each one.

Just as Zak started to wander whether or not Aidan had some unlimited supply of bombs, the explosions stopped. Fisk, Zak, and Komodo looked up at the apprentice in surprise. Drew and Dr. Beeman hesitated to attack Aidan, shocked by the sudden stop in attacks.

In the brief reprieve, Zak had a clear view of the apprentice. He had a mischievous look to his face, which was marred with several burns. He had short, wavy blonde hair which was slicked down with gel. He was well-built and muscular, probably from training as this Van Rook guy's apprentice. He had a band around his wrist, but Zak couldn't see the details. It was probably the computer that Miranda had spotted. Aidan wore straps over his shoulders, with small pockets that probably held even more bombs.

"I didn't think I would have to resort to these, but you guys are pretty good. I'm just better," Aidan stated with a malicious grin. He pulled a pack off his back and shifted around in it. He withdrew his hand, which was clutching tightly to even more small bombs.

In mere seconds, Zak found out what was so different about these bombs. Aidan grabbed one and threw it over his shoulder. He tapped something on his wrist, the bomb hit the cavern wall behind him, and it exploded with a much stronger force than the other bombs he had used. A deep crater was left on the wall, burnt black from the force of the explosion.

Everyone stared at the crater with expressions of fear. These bombs were powerhouses. Aidan smiled at the looks of fear. "And you wondered why I wanted to cause trouble! This is gonna be fun!" He scattered a couple of bombs towards the two scientists, Fisk, Zak, and Komodo.

"MOVE!" Dr. Beeman shrieked.

Fisk yelped, shifted Zak to one arm, grabbed Komodo in the other, and dove away from the cluster of bombs aimed at them.

There was a split second of silence before the world ripped apart.

Explosion after explosion threatened to tear the very essence of life into pieces. The heat was intense, shrapnel flew everywhere, the noise was deafening. All before Fisk hit the ground.

Zak lay on the ground, trapped under Fisk, stunned. He couldn't register anything; he was in too much shock. Fisk stood up and Zak could've as well, but he felt paralyzed. What had just happened?

Komodo hissed threateningly as noises of battle resumed. Everyone else must've been alright. Fisk looked down worriedly at Zak and bent down to help the boy stand up.

Finally finding the ability to talk, Zak whispered, "Fisk, what happened?"

There was no time for Fisk to answer. Aidan had thrown a bomb and it landed right between the two of them. Fisk, still holding Komodo, leapt out of the blast radius and Zak turned on the spot and ran towards the wall.

The bomb exploded, but the three were alright, despite a few cuts from flying shrapnel.

Unfortunately, Aidan had shifted his focus onto Zak. With a bomb in his hand, he said, "I think I'll get the small-fry out of the way."

The bomb left Aidan's hand. It landed a few feet away from Zak, who looked down at it in horror. He was too close to it with no time to escape as Aidan had already lifted his hand to detonate the bomb.

Just as Aidan's hand pressed the button on his wrist, something collided with Zak. Whatever it was had got a hold on him and as he flew through the air, fell, and skidded on the ground, it didn't release its grip. The bomb had gone off and had acted as the propelling force that had given Zak and whatever held him the extra couple seconds in the air.

Zak was now physically shaking from the increased shock of almost losing his life. Although he didn't want to move, he knew he had to. He had to get this weight off his back, whatever it was, and help everyone else stop the maniac.

He pushed himself up off the ground and the weight slid sideways off his back. Zak looked down to see what had saved him. His insides iced over as he looked at his mother's unconscious face.

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Here's the third chapter! Wow, already? Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a lovely review!


	4. Retaliation

The Secret Saturdays still aren't mine... But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy! Thanks to all the lovely new reviews, and I apologize for taking so long to get this up! Computer problems and midterms aside, I present to you Chapter 4!

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He couldn't help it. The scream just escaped his lips.

"MOM!"

Doc, Miranda, and Epsilon sat huddled around the computer hacking device when Zak screamed. All three instantly and simultaneously looked up when they heard it.

Miranda stole a glance at Doc's worried expression. Their eyes met and she whispered, "Go."

With one curt nod, Doc stood up and rushed away from the two scientists and into the open area of the cavern. He immediately spotted Zak huddled over something. As he ran nearer, he took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of his wife's limp form. Ignoring everything else around him, he went straight for her and Zak.

"Drew?"

Zak looked up at his father's distressed face. "Dad, I'm-,"

"We need to move. Now."

As if to reinforce Doc's statement, a series of explosions went off, getting closer and closer with each one. Doc quickly and carefully hoisted his wife into his arms and took off towards Epsilon and Miranda. Zak sprinted after his father, concentrating on reaching safety without getting blown up.

On the way, he noticed Dr. Cheechoo had joined the fight alongside Dr. Beeman. Both men were doing their best to keep Aidan distracted from the other scientists as they worked. Fisk and Komodo were out of sight and Zak guessed that they had hidden with Miranda and Epsilon.

Zak and Doc reached the little secluded area of the cavern, hidden from view by a large mound of snow that practically reached the roof. Upon their entrance, both Epsilon and Miranda looked up.

Whereas Epsilon had learned to remain impassive, Miranda gasped at the sight of the unconscious Drew in Doc's arms.

"Wha-?"

"The bombs," Doc said quickly. He was already formulating a plan to put a stop to this apprentice once and for all. He laid Drew down next to Miranda and as far away from the battle as the little area would allow. As he thought, he knelt down to his wife and rested his hand on her forehead, trying to find comfort with a mere touch.

Zak stared at his mother's face and was instantly overwhelmed with guilt. Shrapnel from Aidan's explosives had given her several nasty-looking gashes. He couldn't believe that the apprentice was fighting to kill.

Seeing his mother like that triggered something in Zak. He wanted this man to pay for what he had done. Anger flared up inside the young boy. And what about the cryptid? Zak wasn't going to let this man just take it and leave. He had no idea who Van Rook was, but if he was anything like Aidan, then the cryptid would be in for a world of misery.

"Is it finished?"

Doc's words brought Zak out of his reverie.

"We don't know if it will work, Doc," Miranda said.

"There is a high risk of the machine short-circuiting, causing an explosion," Epsilon explained, careful to leave his face blank.

Before Zak knew what was happening, Doc had snatched up the machine from the ground. He turned on his heel and ran out of the safety of the hidden area.

"DOC!" Miranda shouted, involuntarily reaching her arm out to stop a man with his mind made up.

Zak watched Doc head into the thick of battle before deciding to go in himself. Fisk squealed frantically and Miranda moved as if to try and stop the boy, but he was determined to help the cryptid and prove himself to everyone.

Doc held the computer hacking device firmly in his hands and had planted himself right in front of the safe area. Zak ran by him, eager to reach the still-unconscious cryptid. He no longer cared that the thing had tried to attack him. It was probably scared in the first place. Zak's parents had always said how cryptids were usually more afraid of people than they were of them.

Zak ran directly behind the battling scientists and straight for the unconscious cryptid. Whatever this Aidan guy was supposed to do, he definitely did it well. A low moan behind Zak told him that Fisk had followed.

"Fisk, we need to get this guy out of here. We can't let that crazy guy take it along with him!"

The Fiskerton Phantom made several concerned noises along with elaborate hand motions.

"No, I don't know what we're gonna do once we get it out, but right now that's not what we should be worried about!"

With a worried groan, Fisk bent down and easily lifted the cryptid into his arms. He looked around, trying to find somewhere to move it.

"Outside!" Zak shouted as he started to run towards a tunnel leading out of the cave where they had first come face to face with the cryptid.

Somewhere back inside the cavern, a scream of rage rang throughout the cave. "Fisk! That was him! Go faster!" Zak shouted in panic. Sure enough, there was one loud explosion, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. "He's coming after us!" Zak yelled, trying his best to speed up.

Another shout echoed in the cave, "DON'T YOU DARE!"

Zak knew it was his father, but he didn't stop running. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, but he didn't dare to look back. Fisk stayed several strides ahead, still carrying the cryptid to safety.

It took the two boys several seconds to realize something was wrong. They had ended up in another cavern instead of reaching the outside. "Fisk! We took the wrong tunnel!" Zak said as the remembered the two different tunnels and his mother's musings of whether or not to split up. "We should've taken the left one!"

"It's too late now, isn't it?"

Zak and Fisk spun around. Aidan had caught up to them and was now blocking the tunnel entrance.

"Is there another way out, Fisk?" Zak asked, trying to hide the panic in his voice. His parents had taught him to hide his fear.

A cold, cruel cackle stopped Fisk from replying. "Even if there were one, do you really think I would let you out?"

Fisk stepped in front of Zak and growled; he wasn't going down without a fight.

"No Fisk! Not you too!" Zak shouted. When the cryptid pretended not to notice, he rammed into its legs in an attempt to knock him out of the way. Fisk, being stronger and much bigger, didn't show any sign that Zak had done anything.

"I'll destroy you both!" Aidan grinned maliciously as he pulled mini bombs out of the pockets on the straps draped over his back. He had a bomb in each hand and his grin grew into an evil grimace. Determined to complete his mission, Aidan would stop at nothing. He wanted that money and the praise that his teacher was sure to reward him with upon bringing back the legendary, valuable cryptid.

The bombs left his hands and flew through the air. They hit the ground and rolled close to Fisk's feet, but the stunned cryptid had little time to react. Aidan's hand had already found the button needed. With one quick movement, he would set off the bombs and end this irritating battle. Who knew a couple of scientists, their pets, and a nine-year-old would give him so much trouble?

Aidan pressed the button on his wristband.

Zak buried his face in the fur on Fisk's legs, waiting for the inescapable explosion. Fisk whimpered loudly and covered his eyes with his hands. The two brothers stood, bracing themselves for an explosion that would never come.

"What... do you think... you're DOING?"

Aidan turned on the spot to see who had yelled, only to have his face bashed in by Doc's glowing Battle Glove.

Fisk followed suit. He ran over to Aidan and kicked him hard, knocking him to the ground. Zak stared at his father in awe. "Dad! How did you...?"

Instead of answering, Doc commanded, "Fisk, take the cryptid and get out of here. Go back the way you came. Zak, go with him." His voice was incredibly calm for what he had just done. He took a defensive stance as Aidan groaned and made an attempt to get back onto his feet.

"Dad, I can-,"

"GO!"

Without another word, Zak ran back into the tunnel, Fisk, who was carrying the cryptid, right behind him.

"Why aren't the bombs going off?" Aidan said to himself as he furiously and repeatedly smashed the detonation button.

"The scientists work fast, don't they?" Doc asked in a mocking tone. He pulled a small machine out from his pocket. However, it seemed that it had suffered major heat damage. Several bits of it were melted and fused together. "It's a computer hacking device. It was very useful, but it's a shame it only had one go."

Aidan let out a scream of fury and leapt off the ground and at Doc. Doc, who was ready for the unexpected assault, landed a strong blow to the apprentice, sending him reeling back to the floor.

As Aidan slowly slipped out of consciousness, he heard Doc say, "By the way, that one was for my wife."

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That's the end of that chapter! I really liked it, and I hope you all did too! Don't forget to leave a lovely review!

Also, because I can't resist, I must say that the season finale was amazingly epic, and I only hope that this incredible series will be picked up for a fourth! Or third? Not really sure how that works, seeing as the newest season was considered the third for awhile... Ah well, you get my point! Thanks for reading!


	5. Warmth

No owning of the Secret Saturdays is occurring by me. Um... Yeah. Anyways, I, FanficLuvr94, am proud to present: The final chapter of **Fire and Ice**! (Oh yes, please don't mind any mistakes, it is currently 3:40 AM here .)  


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"Miranda, I'm fine. Really, I am."

"No you're not. You can't go out there and fight right after getting caught in an explosion, Drew!"

"Doc, Zak, and Fisk are out there with that maniac! You think I'm just going to sit back and let them-,"

Drew attempted to get to her feet, but she fell backwards into Dr. Cheechoo's waiting arm. "How do you expect to fight if you can't even stand?" he chuckled.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Drew asked, sounding horrified.

"Your husband has proved himself incredibly capable time and time again," Dr. Cheechoo explained, keeping a small grin on his face.

"What about Zak? He's nine years old!" Drew said angrily as she made another attempt to stand up, only to fall back against the cavern wall.

Dr. Beeman opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but quickly closed it when two pairs of footsteps filled the silence. They approached quickly, and the gathered scientists turned to look at who was coming.

Zak and Fisk ran into the cavern and headed straight towards the scientists.

"Where's your father?" Drew asked quickly and worriedly.

"He wouldn't let us stay and fight!"

"He's fighting that maniac alone?" Drew nearly shouted. Miranda had anticipated Drew's next try to stand up, so she stopped the woman before she could even make a move.

"Epsilon and Arthur, go help Doc," Miranda commanded.

Dr. Beeman, not one to take orders, complained, "You heard Paul! Doc is perfectly capable of-,"

"GET DOWN THERE AND HELP MY HUSBAND, NOW!" Drew exploded, much to everyone's surprise.

"Thanks for the enthusiasm hun, but I don't need the help."

Doc had just entered the cavern and had started walking towards the gathered scientists. "Aidan's down that tunnel," he pointed over his shoulder. "I would strongly suggest going to restrain him before he gains consciousness." He paused. In the silence, realization hit and Dr. Cheechoo and Epsilon headed off the way Doc came to apprehend Aidan. "We still need to do something about the cryptid," Doc pointed out as he motioned to the still-unconscious cryptid in Fisk's arms.

"Dad, I have an idea," Zak said quietly.

"It was your brilliant idea that got us all into this mess, Static Head!" Dr. Beeman retorted, glaring at Zak.

"Arthur, don't talk to my son like that. Zak, what do you think?" Doc asked, clearly interested.

Zak, with a quick glance at Dr. Beeman, responded, "It was fine here until we disturbed it. I think the researchers should move farther away from this cave and no one should come inside. It gets angry if anyone bothers it."

"That's true Zak. I think that's our best option for right now. We don't know of anyplace to move it to, so I'm all for it," Drew said tiredly.

"I agree, it would be for the best. The researchers would just have to cope with moving a little farther away," Miranda nodded.

"Dr. Beeman? What do you think?" Doc asked, turning on his fellow scientist.

"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice now, do I?" Dr. Beeman mumbled.

"That settles that then. It will stay here," Doc said, ending the matter.

"Arthur and I will tell the researchers, Doc. You should really get Drew back on the airship before the cold does anything," Miranda offered.

"Thanks Miranda," Doc said mechanically. He walked to Drew's side and carefully lifted her back up into his arms. "We better get moving. It's a pretty long walk back to the airship. Thanks again, for everything, you two. Could you give Paul and Epsilon our thanks, too?"

"No problem, Doc," Miranda said before Dr. Beeman could make another sarcastic comment. Now was not the time.

"Thanks for everything guys," Drew waved over Doc's shoulder as he began to walk towards the tunnel leading outside to their airship

"Sure thing, Drew! Just be careful and don't do anything that could make those injuries worse, alright?" Miranda called after them.

"Yeah, yeah," Drew answered jokingly.

It wasn't until the family had reached the end of the tunnel before someone said anything.

"Doc, how did you stop that lunatic?" Drew asked, letting her curiosity get the best of her.

"That computer hacking device came in handy. It was lucky the scientists knew what they were doing," Doc responded. "Without it, Zak, Fisk, and I probably wouldn't be here right now."

With that statement, the reality of the fight with Aidan came rushing to him and smacked him in the face. However, that was all past now. The scientists were handling the cryptid and Aidan, and he could finally go home and maybe have a race or two with Fisk. His dad would probably do the cooking tonight, and then he would finally be able to sleep in his nice, warm bed. The warmth was especially pleasing as a bitingly cold wind blew across his face.

As minutes of even more silence dragged on, Zak worked up the bravery to ask, "So... do you think I could go on another mission with you guys again?" Fisk groaned, but Zak took no notice.

"Zak, you saw what happened today, you were almost-," Drew started.

"Look at that, you're getting your mother all worked up," Doc interrupted. He flashed a quick smile at Zak. He knew Drew would never willingly let him go on a mission unless Zak did something like sneak off along with them again.

"I am nine years old, you know. It's time I started helping you guys," Zak stated, grinning back at Doc's smile.

"Nine is way too-,"

Instead of letting Drew go on another tirade, Doc simply said, "We'll see."

When the airship had come into view, Doc could think of nothing else but finally reaching its warmth, safety, and rest. As he walked, he wandered, for probably the hundred and first time that day, why the cryptid had to be in the Arctic.

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I apologize for this being so short, but I intended it to be rather cute and leave people with a happy, warm feeling inside. I hope everyone enjoyed **Fire and Ice** as much as I enjoyed writing it, and please leave a lovely review! They keep authors going, as authors here already know :)

Keep on the lookout for a new fanfiction I have on my mind! Guaranteed action, adventure, suspense, and I may throw in a little romance! Thanks so much for reading everyone!


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